Conviction
by SeleneZana
Summary: Trinity was unplugged, but she left someone behind. When Eve joins the Neb, a lot of things change.. Set between M1 and Reloaded, apart from the prologue, which is before the Matrix. Rating for language. (Chapter 8 finally up!)
1. Needing People

****

Conviction

Author's Note: This is my first Matrix fic, so please be kind to me! I also want to say a huge thank you to my beta Nicene. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own The Matrix, or any of the characters included. They are the sole property of the amazing Wachowski brothers. However, I do own Fathom and Eve, so I can do whatever I want to them! 

Beginning: Needing People 

In apartment 611, in a sleepy tower block, a phone was ringing.

Meg rolled over in her narrow bed and groaned. She brushed her long, ebony hair out of her eyes and looked at her watch. 6:00am. 

'Shit.'

The phone was still ringing. She slowly picked it up, and pressed the receiver to her ear. 

'Hello?' she muttered, her voice low and harsh from sleep. A man's voice answered, one that she recognised, one that she welcomed, which was unusual. Her heart began to beat faster and she sat up straight as she began to comprehend what he was saying.

'This line is tapped, so I must be brief. Now we have managed to keep you a secret for long enough, but the enemy has found you. They know who you are, they know where you live, and your life is no longer safe. Lie low today, and meet us at midnight on Ferry Street. Fathom will be waiting for you. It is time for you to leave. Do you understand?'

'Yes…Yes I do.'

'Good. Be careful.' A click, and he was gone. But she soon would be too. Why was she so scared? After all, this is what she had been waiting for for so long. The red pill. 3 months she had waited, 3 months she had known that every single thing she did, every action, every thought, had no consequence, because she was living a lie. The Matrix. Control so powerful that even though she knew what was happening, she was powerless to stop it, powerless to leave, because she was a part of the system. The thought filled her with revulsion. 

She believed she deserved to be unplugged. Sure enough, finding the answer to the question was all that had kept her going after her life had begun to fall apart. She raised her eyes and looked around the room, remembering how she had come here with her few belongings after it had happened…

__

Today was a bad day. 16 year old Meg knew that as soon as she walked through the door. She heard her father's voice yelling, his speech slurred from the quantity of gin he had consumed, and her mother pleading with him. She hated them both. Her father, an abusive alcoholic, and her mother, too weak to tell anyone or get help, even for her children's sake. And then there was her sister, Madison. Meg didn't know where the hell she was, but she wasn't going to help now. Madison had practically disowned her family, descending deeper into herself, and her computer. Meg knew she hacked, and didn't give a damn. It wasn't her problem and she had enough to work with at the moment. 

Meg spun round, at the noise of a bullet. She ran into the kitchen and saw her mother, transfixed, staring at the gun in her father's hand as he swayed crazily. Neither of them noticed the skinny girl's presence. Her father swung the gun around, towards her mother, but then carried on swinging it, until the barrel was resting against his temple. 

'James,' whispered her mother.

The noise of the shot echoed through the room. Her mother screamed, and Meg turned tail and ran, unthinking, unfeeling, like a machine. She acted on instinct, running as fast as she could, away from the house, the blood, the death.

Something was wrong with the world.

The police came and went, cause of death was identified as suicide, the funeral was over and done with. Meg passed through it all with an incredulity, feeling that it wasn't meant to happen, it wasn't happening. Madison attended some of the proceedings, but only when she absolutely had to, and even then, always with a glazed look in her icy blue eyes, like her mind was somewhere else. She didn't care anymore and Meg resolved to be like that. After all, what was the point of needing people? All that was was a weakness. She would never be hurt again. She needed no one. The thought filled her with a sense of power.

All was well with her new philosophy, provided unconsciously by her sister. Her mother struggled to keep the house running, but Meg didn't care. Her grades dropped at school, but she didn't care. Without knowing it, she drifted deeper into her own mind and became silent, watching, analysing everyone's every move, cold and unfeeling. Until the night they found it. Meg remembered so well.

__

She followed the police upstairs, the endless winding staircase with the stone cold floor tiles. Even without the reason she was here, the whole building had a feeling about it, almost ethereal, like it was from another world. It was so much more… Meg couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it felt as if this place put the whole rest of her life into shadow, like a dream. This place was so much more real_. Her mind was occupied with these thoughts until the first policeman opened the tall double doors next to her, and she saw it. Her sister's body, as cold as the tiled floor. Her mother burst into tears. Stupid bitch, Meg thought. You never cared, you never gave a damn. Does she have to die to make you realise that? Meg took one last look at Madison's face, her straight black hair, her pale skin, so much like her own, before walking out. She was so silent, her mother never noticed until she was gone. _

She went back to their house and took her belongings, in various suitcases and bags, all her savings, and one other thing. Madison's computer. Something inside her told her that this thing was connected with her sister's death, and she had to find out what. She left the house as soon as she could, knowing that she would not be able to stand living alone with her mother. Some time, she knew she would crack, and all the anger, at her mother, her life, the feeling she had that something was not quite right, would come spilling out, and that would be bad for the both of them. 

****

So? Review please and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is appreciated, but if you hate it please at least tell me why. Depending on the reviews I get this story may be continued or not- who knows..


	2. What Is The Matrix?

****

Conviction

Disclaimer: Still owning nothing, and getting no money from this fic. Big thanx to my reviewers- Mickey6, Agent Josey and November. Reviews make me happy! J This chapter should have a bit more to do with the Matrix. Enjoy!

2. What is the Matrix?

Meg looked down at her hands. She didn't enjoy thinking about that part of her life and had blocked it out until now. When she had arrived at the apartment, she had shunned almost all human contact and spent hours on end looking through her sister's computer, trying to find some link to the end of her life. For some reason, she didn't quite believe it. Something wasn't right. 

__

She began looking in chat rooms, mentioning her name, hoping for some kind of response, some recognition, but she got nothing. No one had heard of a Madison Taylor. In her head, she asked herself why she was doing this. What had Madison ever done for her? She knew if she had died, no one would have ever gone to these lengths to find out why. But she also felt that Madison had known something important. Something she needed to know. 

Eventually, after days of searching in vain, Meg tried posting a picture of Madison before she died. This prompted one response in the hacker chat rooms she was visiting. A single word.

Trinity. 

Her sister's identity, her alter ego, the person she truly was. And through this name, Meg began to find out all there was to know of her sister's people, the lives they led, the people they knew, and most importantly, the question that plagued them. What is the Matrix? She developed her own name, one she simply felt was right for her, and began to use it as her own. Eve. Biblical, yes, but so was Trinity, and it seemed to reflect her personality. She liked it. She began using this name and slowly gathered information about the Matrix. She learnt of a man, whose name was revered among the rebels, who, it was said, could find the one, and fulfil the Prophecy. The man at the heart of the Resistance, Morpheus. And, as so many had done before, she began searching for him. And, like so many times before, he found her first.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

'Trinity, you can't do this. I have already told you, you cannot contact a member of your own family. The agents would know instantly and you would both be in danger.' Morpheus spoke the words with regret. He hated having to say no to Trinity. But this time, he had to. He could not risk her being killed. The Oracle had told him that she would be crucial when he found the One, and nothing would make him put her in danger now.

'Who will go then?' It was said more as a challenge than a question. 

'I will send Fathom. He is experienced enough, and Switch, Apoc and Cypher can be his backup. Don't worry, Eve is in safe hands. Tank! Load them up.' 

Fathom sat in his chair, while the other three took their places beside him. The spikes went into their neck plugs as Trinity and Morpheus stood by, watching tensely to see how the mission would go. 

A phone rang, inside the Matrix, and Switch picked it up. 

'We're in.'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Meg, or Eve as she now thought of herself, stood in the centre of the bridge, wondering if this was all some kind of cruel joke. Half an hour ago she had received a message on her computer saying: 

Wake up, Eve… The Matrix has you… Trinity is far from dead… Be at the Collins Bridge by 9:00 tonight…

She was hoping beyond hope that the message was from Morpheus, or someone connected to him. But there was no one there. Just as she had this thought, a figure in black stepped out of the gloom. 

'Hello, Eve.'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Morpheus turned to Trinity. 'There she is.' 

****

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

__

'My name is Fathom.' 

'Who are you? I haven't heard your name before.' Oh shit, thought Eve. Some nutter from a chat room who had caught on to what she wanted.

'I am a friend of Morpheus.' He smirked slightly, reading her like a book, and fully aware of the effect his sentence would have on her. 

'What?' Her heart began to beat faster. He knew Morpheus! He must be from the resistance!

'I believe you know him. He couldn't be here this evening but…I need to tell you. You are in great danger. The Matrix has you, Eve. The answer is out there, and it will find you…if you want it to.' He turned and left, smiling to himself. He could do this better than Trinity any day.

Since then, she had been contacted many more times by this group of rebels. The news called Morpheus a terrorist, the hackers called Trinity a genius, and she watched it all with a calm satisfaction. She would soon be one of them. By now she knew all there was to know about the Matrix, and every phone call promised her unplugging. But something was wrong. 

According to Morpheus, there was uproar in Zion. He truly believed he had found the One. A man named Neo, she had heard. It was now too risky to attempt a full scale freeing mission. She had to wait. And wait she had, three whole months, until that phone call at 6:00 am this morning. Now she was scared?

'Goddammit, Eve!' she yelled to herself. It calmed her down, although she would never understand why. Somehow it just made her feel more human, a feeling she had been needing recently. She looked across at the computer screen, which was now showing today's events. Not that she usually had any events, preferring to lock herself away from the world. Today, however was different. Her stomach sank at the thought. Of course… she thought. Today was her mother's funeral.

Phew… well that's the prologue finished! Hope you liked it, now GO! REVIEW!!!


	3. We want you out

****

Conviction

A/N: Sorry about the HUGE delay with this chapter- I have just been loaded with so much work it is incredible. I promise I will try to keep updating quicker from now on. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix, or any of the characters therein. They still belong to the Wachowskis. L 

3. We want you out.

Eve wrapped her black jacket tighter around herself as she walked down the road with an icy wind whipping through her hair. She remembered the time she had heard of her mother's death, two weeks ago. It was a car crash, although, not many people knew that she was drunk at the time. She was free now, Eve thought to herself. No close relatives left, no friends, no one to worry and raise an alarm if one day she simply disappeared…

She focused on the pavement again, swerved to avoid a suited man in a hurry, and turned the corner towards the church. The funeral was quiet. The Taylor family had all but fallen apart, and Eve knew the things that were said about them. Most of them she even agreed with. She felt she was no longer part of their family. That part of her life was lost, along with her old name. The priest spoke the final words, and Eve heard her aunt crying. Stupid cow, she muttered under her breath. They were all such hypocrites. They never helped, they were never there when she had needed them, and now they cried at her funeral.

Eve left early and walked back to her apartment. She began to tidy her things and shut down her computer. She was leaving. She checked her watch. 11:30 p.m. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Fathom, where is she?' Leda was pissed off about this one. She knew how important Eve was to Trinity, and she didn't want a bad unplugging on her list. 

'She's coming. I said midnight. Calm down.' He looked around through the gloom, but there was still no sign of her. She will come, she will, he thought to himself. 

'The longer she's in here, the more likely it is the agents will find her. We're not immune from them just because we have Neo.'

'I understand Leda. She will come.' He sounded more confident than he was. What if she had changed her mind? She had sounded scared before. If that was the case, they were all in deep shit. Even Morpheus, waiting in a building four blocks away.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eve turned the corner, walking fast and huddling against the cold. Apparently the real world was cold. Brilliant. She looked ahead and made out two figures, both in black, standing next to a car. She moved closer, and saw one of them was Fathom. She relaxed slightly. 

'Bingo,' he said softly to Leda, who met the comment with an icy glare.

She turned to Eve, who by now was only a couple of feet away.

'Get in.'

Eve slid into the car, between Leda and Fathom. From the front driver's seat, a man with dark hair turned around and smiled gently at her.

Fathom spoke. 'That's Janus. He and Leda are new recruits. Bit like you really. They replaced Switch and Apoc. You heard what happened with them, didn't you?'

Eve nodded. She decided not to say anything until she was absolutely sure what was going on. Janus began to drive off and Fathom continued.

'That complete bastard Cypher. Well, there's been a lot of weird shit going on since then. And now you turn up. Trinity's sister. Funny really. She doesn't seem the sisterly type.' He smirked to himself and the rest of the journey passed in silence. 

They arrived at a tall, imposing building and began to walk upstairs inside it. Leda was watching Eve, looking for signs of fear, signs of weakness. She found none, although she knew that on the inside Eve was terrified. She was a tough cookie. Very much like Trinity.

Janus knocked on the huge double doors, and opened them for Eve to pass through. She walked in smoothly, like a cat, and he whispered, 'Good luck.'

Morpheus turned around to see her slim figure pass through the doors and wait pensively for him to speak. My God, he thought. She is exactly like her sister.

'Hello Eve. I am Morpheus.'

'I guessed.' She put on a brave face, although inside she was quaking.

'My speech this evening will be slightly different than usual, as you already know so much about the Matrix. So I will save being cryptic for now. The truth is, we want you out. Trinity wants you out. If you are not unplugged soon, the agents will surely find, and eliminate you. We cannot risk that. You still have a choice, although I will say now; I sincerely hope that you choose the red pill.'

She looked down at the table he indicated with his hand, and saw two pills, a red and a blue one. She reached down and took the red without hesitation. No turning back now. 

'Good. Now, if you follow me, we can begin.'

She followed Morpheus out of the room they were in, and into another, full of high tech computer equipment. Fathom, Leda and Janus were there, surrounding a reclined, battered old chair.

'Take a seat.' Morpheus then turned. 'Janus, are we on-line?'

'Almost there…I got her!'

'Good luck, Eve.'

****

Yay! This chapter took so long, I was wondering if it would ever be finished. Just to say thanks to my reviewers:

Agent Josey: Yayayay! Sorry it took so long. The final outcome still isn't clear in my own head, so any ideas would be considered.

Nobody's Princess: Thankyou! Again- sorry it took so long. Trinity/Neo jealousy? Well I can't guarantee there won't be any, but yes, they do still love each other. More about Eve to come!

Da Buffster: Lots of reactions coming! And this time sooner I promise! 

Well I seem to be apologising to everyone, so I guess I'll just have to update faster next time! Keep reviewing!


	4. Welcome, to the real world

****

Conviction

Disclaimer: As before, owning nothing. The Matrix, and all the characters are the property of the Wachowskis. And I have no money. So suing would not be appreciated!

4. Welcome, to the real world.

Red. 

Red all around her. She wriggled, but it was still there, on top of her, around her, sticking to her skin. She had a strange sensation along her spine and at the base of her skull, almost like. Jesus Christ- there was something stuck in her? She couldn't breathe. She panicked, and with the small amount of strength left in her wasted muscles, she broke through the top of the slime and sat up. She dragged the long tube out of her throat and gasped for clean air.

The pods. That was where she was. She looked around, and leaned over the edge of her slime bath, before recoiling in horror at the huge towers descending into infinity. _There's so many._

Suddenly she heard a humming, buzzing noise above her, like a helicopter gone wrong, and she looked upwards to see what appeared to be a huge metal beetle descending from above. Shutters opened and there was light, blinding light. It hurt like hell on eyes that had never seen the light of day before. A mechanic arm moved forward and grabbed her head in an iron grip. She struggled with the little strength she had, but the grip was unrelenting.Something moved round to the back of her neck and unscrewed whatever the hell it was that was stuck in it. Then the real pain began. Every single tube, plug, and IV embedded in her skin began to pop out, with a feeling that a match was being lit on her skin at every point they were attached. Eve's body convulsed, she screamed, and the bottom of her pod opened up to reveal a chute, which she slid down and fell heavily into the water below.

Water. Oh God. She was drowning, her lungs filling with water, coughing, choking, but inevitably sinking down.down.

A hatch opened in the underbelly of the ship above her. A claw plunged down and pulled her naked body from the freezing waters. Eve lurched onto the ship and opened her eyes to find herself staring into Morpheus's deep brown ones.

'Welcome, to the real world.'

Then she passed out.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

She woke later- she had no idea how much later- to find herself lying on a hard surface, with harsh lighting strips again making her squint. There was a strange prickling sensation along her body, and she looked at herself to find she was covered in needles. Acupuncture. That was it. She remembered never trusting that kind of thing, sticking needles into someone to try and _relieve _pain. How could that work? She closed her eyes and groaned, but then heard a female voice speaking from above her.

'Its all right. Your muscles have atrophied. We're rebuilding them. Get some sleep.'

Something about that voice struck a chord in Eve's mind. Half a memory.a voice from the past. She struggled with that thought until she slipped back into sleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trinity sat in the mess room stirring her goop around with her spoon. Her brow was furrowed, and her chin was resting on her free hand. Neo sat opposite her, watching her with soft brown eyes and holding a cup of cold water between his hands. He spoke.

'Are you gonna eat that Trin, or just sit there staring at it all day?'

She glanced up at him and smiled a half smile. He was the only person on the ship who could possibly get away with a comment like that. She stared back at her food and began drawing lines, criss- crossing each other to form a grid in the thick liquid. Neo frowned, and tried to see what was on her mind.

'How's Eve?'

Trinity put her spoon down, looked up, and sighed. 'She's ok. She's probably still asleep actually. She hasn't seen me yet.'

'Do you want to take her some food?' 

'Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.' She left the room, obviously distracted, and went to get Eve some food. 

As for Neo, he was intrigued. He had never seen Trinity act like this around a person before. She was actually worried about what Eve would think of her. Trinity had never needed, never wanted to prove herself before, but now her sister turns up and she can't even keep her mind on a conversation. He smiled to himself, downed his drink, and left the room.

****

And so Eve lands up on the Neb, and I arrive at thanking my reviewers! 

Agent Josey: No! Don't fall! I'm updating!! Thanks for all your reviews, and keep them coming- they make me smile :)

****

Isis: Here you go- the next chapter. Thanks for your compliments!

Da Buffster: You're right. This fic will be mainly about Trinity and Eve, but I may bring in some jealousy on the Neo front as well. I'm a big T/N fan as well and I really love writing about their relationship. Don't shorten your reviews- I enjoy reading them! 

More to come soon, so watch this space. 


	5. Glint in her eyes

****

Conviction

Disclaimer: As you may have noticed by now, I own nothing!

5. Glint in her eyes.

Eve woke with a start from a sharp knock on her door. She opened her eyes and saw the cold grey steel of the ceiling above her. _I'm still here. _She rolled onto her side and looked towards the door. 

'Come in,' she grunted.

Trinity entered the room, and glanced up at Eve, before crouching down to place the tray of food beside her bed. Eve sat up and leaned against the hard wall next to the bed, where Trinity came, sat next to her, and spoke. 

'Hey.'

Eve smiled. 'Hey,' she said, before leaning down to pick the tray up and inspect the goop in the metal bowl. 'What is this stuff?'

'If Dozer were still here he would have told you. A single cell protein combined with synthetic aminos, vitamins and minerals, I believe. Basically what that means is it tastes of nothing, and when you've got it in your mouth, you'll be glad.'

'Great.' Eve stirred the food around, and then began drawing lines in it; exactly the same way that Trinity had done just a few minutes earlier. She put the tray back on the floor and scratched her bald head before remarking, 'I would have liked to have met him. Him and the rest of the crew.'

'They were good people.' Eve was staring into space in front of her and so Trinity scrutinised her, studying those features that were so like her own. 'I'm sorry I left you behind.'

Eve turned, and looked into her sister's eyes. 'I always knew that something was wrong. You wouldn't have just died like that.' And she knew it was true. Trinity was a fighter. _Madison _had been a fighter. There was some glint in her eyes that made you think twice before crossing her path. If you had asked anyone who had met her, they would have told you that Eve had that same glint there as well.

Trinity got up and moved towards the door. 'Come and meet the crew.' 

She walked out into the corridor and Eve followed behind, tugging at the sleeves of her faded grey sweater. Thoughts were running through her head, thoughts of Trinity, of the life she had left behind. None of it had happened. Eve was in a unique position, one where she had learned all about the Matrix before she had actually been unplugged, but still it was a shock to realise she was starting over again. That meant she had better start to get to know the crew a little better.

Trinity spoke, pulling her out of her thoughts. 'This is Leda, Janus and Fathom. You've already met them.' 

Eve smiled tentatively at each of them. In the Matrix, she would have started to form her own opinions on each of them- Janus- a good friend, maybe a shoulder to cry on. Fathom- smart, but a bit cocky. She could tell that from the smirks. And Leda- as hard as a rock. Not someone who would tolerate any kind of weakness. But here, in the real world, she couldn't be sure of anything, and so suspended all ideas about her crewmates until she knew them a lot better. It was strange. Everything seemed to be just the same as the Matrix, until you looked closer and saw the tiny details that were different. None of the lines were perfectly straight. Everything seemed blue in comparison to the greenish tinge that coated the Matrix.

'This is Link. He's our operator.' Trinity placed a hand on the back of Link's chair. He turned around.

'Hi.' Again, the smile. Revealing nothing, taking in so much. 

'And this is Neo.'

Dark hair, soft brown eyes, a gaze that was gentle, receptive, not trying to force something onto her like all the other men she had known. Eve instantly felt drawn to him. _So he's the one. _

'Hi.' For the first time, she spoke first. There was something about this man that made her feel safe, and she relaxed a little.

He looked at her, then across to Trinity and said, 'She really does look like you! Pleased to meet you Eve.' She looked to the floor and then back up at him and smiled.

'And Morpheus, of course.'

Morpheus walked slowly into the core, looking straight at Eve. 'Welcome to the Nebuchadnezzar. I think it is time to show you what I have been telling you for so long. Link, load the construct program. Eve, come with me.'

She followed him into the ring of battered reclining chairs and lay down in one with apprehension. Trinity came behind her and pressed her palm to Eve's forehead, holding it still. Then she gently inserted the spike into her neck plug. Eve gasped, her eyes closed, and then she opened them to see a bright white space all around her. 

__

A world without boundaries. She turned around slowly until her gaze rested on Morpheus. He was standing next to the two old red chairs she had seen at her unplugging. 

'This is the construct right? I'm inside a computer program.' 

'That's right. At this very instant in time, all the input output carrier signals to, and from your brain, are being intercepted by the program. Nerve signals from the real world are being blocked and you are being fed ones that will correspond to this world inside the construct. That is why you cannot feel the chair anymore, nor the plug in your neck. Similarly, the signals from your brain are being fed straight into the program, which tells your _virtual _body what to do. Your brain says, wiggle the fingers on your right hand, the program intercepts that and so you see the fingers on the right hand of your virtual body wiggle. It is indistinguishable from your true body. Reality, it seems, is not as trustworthy as we thought.'

Eve paused, taking it all in. He had mentioned it before, but not in this much detail, and she wanted to make sure that she had understood it. 'Yeah. Yeah, okay, I can deal with that. Nerve impulses. Sure. And my hair is back, I have new clothes. You had a name for that didn't you?'

'Yes. Do you remember?'

'Residual…residual self image.'

'That is correct. You learn well. I have already told you the truth about the human race, the machines, the desert of the real, Zion, and so forth. I trust that you remember that as well. You have taken this very well Eve, better than I ever imagined you would. I never tell those that are about to be unplugged too much. It's too risky. But you were an exception. I'm sorry we left you in there so long, but I hope you understand how dangerous it would have been to unplug you that soon after Neo. Trinity argued with me, you know. She knew how much you would have hated it. But the safety of Zion is always the priority.'

'I understand.' And she did, perfectly. Now she had seen Neo, she felt the power and the strength of this man, the one man who could defeat the machines, end the war. And she realised that she would rather have stayed in the Matrix than jeopardise that mission. The conclusion surprised her. All her life she had put herself first, had had to, to stay alive. But now she was prepared to live out the rest of her life in a pod, just to help a greater good. She was changing. 

'I _knew _you would. I think this is enough for one day. Link! Let us out.'

A rush of sensations, the light faded, the plug was being pulled and then, she opened her eyes to the core of the ship again. She stood up slowly, and then turned to face Link. 

'Get some good sleep tonight. Tomorrow, we start your training.'

'Alright. Goodnight.'

'Goodnight.'

Morpheus and Link then left for the mess room, where the rest of the crew was seated, eating and talking. A hush fell when Morpheus entered, before Trinity asked, 'How did she take it?' Trinity had been feeling worried about Eve, worried that she wouldn't understand it, wouldn't accept it, even though she tried not to let that show to anyone. Morpheus pulled out a stool and sat down before answering with a smile, 'Better than anyone I have ever seen.' 

****

Well, there we go, a nice long chapter for you all. And here we hand over to the reviewer thankyous!

Agent Josey- Thanks for all the compliments. I write by visualising the story in my mind first, so your comment about the description means that I'm being successful in communicating what I see. Thankyou, and keep on reviewing!

Thereisnobrain- No! Don't die! I'm updating! *runs over to see if thereisnobrain is dead* Hmmm. Well I'd better keep updating, even if its just to avoid killing my reviewers! :) 

Trinfan- Jealousy coming soon I promise! I just need to get Eve a little more settled in, and let it happen when it feels right. Watch this space!

I'm sort of making things up when it comes to characterisation, so if anyone has any hints or tips, they would be much appreciated. Also, I seem to be keeping an exact amount of three reviews per chapter. I want to beat that now, so lets REVIEW!!! Please…


	6. Cold, hard steel

****

Conviction

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The Matrix and all the characters are property of the Wachowskis. You've heard it all before.

6. Cold, hard steel

Eve left her room the next morning, feeling more alert than she had for a long time. She wandered down the hallway of the ship, looking for breakfast. She turned into the mess room to see Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and the rest of the crew sitting and eating. 

'Hey,' she said. Most of the crew glanced up at her, and then continued eating. 

'Good morning,' said Fathom, before eating again.

Eve was a little off put by this reception. She had expected talking, smiles- hell, at least a hello, especially from her sister. But Trinity was acting as if she wasn't even there anymore. She was feeling surprised and ashamed about her outbursts of concern for Eve yesterday. Now she was becoming her usual self again- the cold, hard soldier. Moved by nothing.

Eve sat down, and began eating with the rest of them. Not long after, Trinity left the room, followed closely by Neo. Eve finished quickly, and followed her. She came to her door and knocked loudly.

'Who is it?'

'It's me, Eve.' 

'Oh. Come in.'

She swung open the door and entered the room. Trinity was busy tidying things away from the day before. She looked up, and then returned to her work. Eve took a step towards her.

'What's up?'

'What do you mean?' Trinity frowned, before walking past Eve and placing something in a drawer.

'Why are you ignoring me?'

'I'm not.'

'Then what was going on at breakfast?'

'Nothing. I was eating, that's all.'

'Exactly. You didn't say one word to me throughout the whole meal.'

'Well, I don't usually talk that much. Why should anything change?'

'Because I used to be your sister, _Madison. _But I guess now that you're the famous Trinity, that doesn't matter anymore.'

Trinity glared at her, but remained silent.

'I should have known better. You were barely a sister to me in the Matrix.'

'That's a lie.'

'Oh, come on. You were never there! All the time, all the problems I had with Mom, with Dad, and you were never there.' She pointed furiously at Trinity, remembering the suicide, her sister's supposed death. All the pain. 'I guess I should never have expected anything to change.'

She stormed out of the room, wanting to get away from Trinity, from everything.

'Wait.'

Eve turned slowly. 

'I'm sorry, OK? But you have to see that I did what I did for our own good- for your own good. It just took a little longer than expected.'

Eve looked to the ground. Cold, hard steel. This was real. None of her past life had actually happened. None of that mattered now. All that mattered was here, now, the real world. 'Well. Now that you've settled your little guilt issue, you might wanna start acting like you know me.'

'Eve, you don't understand. We're soldiers now.'

'We may well be. But more than that, we're sisters. You can't just throw that away.'

And with that, she strode away, leaving Trinity standing at her door. Neo approached from behind her and put his arms around her waist.

'What's up?'

'Nothing.' She paused, and looked ahead of her. She could trust this guy, right? So why wasn't she telling him her problems? Maybe there was something wrong with her. 'Alright, so maybe there is. It's Eve.'

'Well, she's new. It takes a while to get used to everything, you know that. Plus, she thought you were dead.' He smiled and kissed her neck. 

'I guess so.' It was strange, the way Neo never said anything concrete, no strong facts, but it always seemed to comfort her. She turned around and slipped into his embrace. 

'She should be starting the training program later. I think you two would be good sparring together.'

'Mmm,' she murmured, her face buried in his chest.

****

Well, sorry its been so long, but with holidays and exchange students and the like, its been hard. Ended this one with a liiittle bit of fluff- hope ya don't mind. :) So- on to the thankyous.

Da Buffster- I've tried to correct some of the things you pointed out from the last chapter. And also added some anger. :) The review comment wasn't directed at you personally, I was just generally kinda sick of three reviews every chapter. But I have six this time, so yay! Thanks for the support. I'm not planning to send Trinity to Guides in the near future, but that could be the subject of another, more _humorous_ story! ;) Again, thanks for reviewing.

shorty62100- Thankyou! Possible damsel in distress-ness coming, if I can fit it into the plot. Also action sequences. I'm probably going to try and bring them in after Eve has gone through the training, so keep on reading!

thereisnobrain- Nooo! Oh dear. Well I just hope there's not too much blood. I'm still going, slowly, but I had a bit of a block with this chapter- and the above reasons got in the way. Stick with me…in spirit!

angel of darkness 4585- Thankyou- especially for the originality comment. I hate reading stories that have obviously stolen ideas. Keep reviewing! 

Agent Josey- I'm sorry. You make that comment about nobody updating, and then what do I do? I leave it about two weeks before updating. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to annoy you. ;) But then you did say you came under the category yourself, so you must understand. Thankyou, and congratulations on being my most faithful reviewer to date. Keep it up!

followthewhitering- Thank for the comments. I've tried to rectify that a bit with this chapter- hope you like it. As for the jealousy idea, I will tread with the utmost care. Keep reviewing!


	7. Welcome to the dojo

****

Conviction

Disclaimer: Still own squat. Oh well.

7. Welcome to the dojo. 

Trinity walked down the metal corridor with a grim look on her face. She stopped at a door on her left, a door to a room that had until recently been occupied. She knocked, the harsh sound reverberating through the hall. A voice called from inside.

'Who is it?'

'Trinity.'

'Go away.'

She sighed. She hadn't thought Eve would be so difficult. She'd given her time to cool down, lose some of the anger. But maybe there was some there that would never go away. She wondered if that might come in handy in combat later. Right now, however, Eve was late for training. And if she had to pull rank to make her come out, she would.

'No.'

She heard a grunt of frustration from inside the room, and then a low thud as something heavy hit the door. She opened it slowly and stepped inside. Eve sat on her bed, her back against the wall, hugging her knees. She was staring at the opposite wall, a frown etched on her face. She spoke.

'I don't think I want to talk to you right now.'

Trinity shut the door behind her, and sat down on the bed next to Eve. She studied her features for a minute, before replying.

'I don't want to talk to you either. I want to fight you.'

Eve turned her head and stared at her sister.

'What?'

'I want to fight you. But first you need to train. And to do that, you need to come with me.'

With that, she left the room, leaving Eve alone on the bed. She knew she would follow.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Alright. Link, you ready?'

'Yes sir,' he said, whilst typing commands into the keyboard in front of him. 'All present and correct, but where's Eve?'

'She'll come.' Trinity smiled to herself, and perched on the arm of one of the battered chairs to wait.

Sure enough, Eve appeared, looking rebellious. 

Trinity watched her, a small smirk on her face. 'Glad you could join us. Take a seat. Link! I think we want a combat training program.'

'But…aren't we supposed to start with these operational programs?'

'I'm sure she can handle it,' said Trinity, with a glance at Eve.

Eve sat herself in the chair, while Link's finger hovered over the load key. He pressed it, and her body twitched as the stream of information flooded her mind. It ended, and she opened her eyes and gasped. 

'Wow. How the hell…?'

'I'll leave you two to get on with it.' Trinity got up, and left the room. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She went to the main deck where Morpheus was sitting, watching the sewers fly past the windows of the ship. 

He turned, and said, 'How is she?'

'She's fine. It's going to take her a while to cool off, but I think that will help her in combat.'

'Yes. You understand why I chose you to be her sparring partner, don't you.'

Trinity didn't reply. She knew he would tell her anyway.

'It's because you understand her. Better than anyone else on this ship. She'll trust you. You'll be able to anticipate each other's moves, know what the other is thinking. I think that if you train together, you two could be near unbeatable.'

Trinity looked at her boots. She wasn't good at, or wasn't accustomed to, taking praise like this from the captain. She felt uncomfortable. 

'I'll go and see how she's doing.'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Well, I think you're just about ready. Not that anyone is ever ready for Trinity.' Link turned in his chair, and watched Eve as she shook herself, almost as if she could feel the new power she had coursing through her body.

'She's that good?'

'Find out for yourself,' said Link, as he saw Trinity striding into the room.

She walked over to Eve's chair. 'What do you think?'

'I think I'm ready. But…where?'

Trinity smiled and attached the plug into Eve's neck socket before going to her own chair. Link plugged her in and pressed LOAD.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Welcome to the dojo.'

They stood in the wide space, with the Japanese décor. Eve looked down at her clothes, a pale beige gi. Trinity wore black.

'Now usually Morpheus says something about how this place has rules, like gravity, but that you can bend them. Some you can break. All you have to do is free your mind.'

'So, why are you sparring with me and not him?'

'Because I can kick your ass and not feel guilty. Begin.'

They struck the opening poses, and began to edge towards each other, slowly at first but the tempo soon increased, and fists flew.

A punch, blocked, twisted, then a roundhouse kick, deflected, stomach punch, a backflip, jab, another block, twisting away, preparing, punch, and then Trinity rose into the air and kicked Eve squarely in the chest, sending her crashing into the wall.

'Not good enough. Hit me. Again!'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Hey, you guys, check these two out. I think she's reading her mind!' Link yelled from his seat in front of the screens. 

Fathom, Janus and Leda entered the room, and crowded round the screens, followed soon after by Neo and Morpheus.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eve pulled herself to her feet, and ran at Trinity. A flurry of punches and kicks came, but everywhere she was, Trinity was faster, anticipating her every move. Eve rolled to avoid a vicious kick, jumped up and somersaulted over Trinity, landing hard on the other side. Blocking, punching, twisting away, she aimed a punch that Trinity had to turn to avoid, and in the moment she was facing away, Eve sent a kick to the side of her head, stopping short with her toe just touching her cheek. Trinity became still, and with the top of her foot, Eve slapped her face. 

'Got you.'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neo smiled. 'Nice.'

Janus was shaking his head, a look of amazement on his face. 'She'd better watch her back from now on. Trinity will not like that.'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trinity glared at Eve, and then looked upward, yelling, 'Link, the jump program please.' She turned to Eve. 'Time to knock some of that cockiness out of you.'

Before Eve knew what was happening, she was dressed in her normal clothes again, and standing on top of a skyscraper. Trinity stood next to her, in black latex and shades.

'Watch, and copy. Free your mind.'

With that, she ran, and leapt into the air, soaring over the street, and landed gracefully on the building opposite. She then rose, and put her hands on her hips.

Eve stood on the other side, shocked. 'Right. I can do this. Easy.' She took a running jump, flew for a while, but then she looked down and began to plummet to the floor, screaming. She hit the ground, and bounced, before landing again heavily.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Link winced. 'Ouch.'

'Hey, what if she had made it?' Fathom looked around eagerly for an answer.

'She didn't.' This from Leda, with a cold look. 

'Lets face it, it would have been worrying if she had. I mean, not even _Neo _made his first jump.' 

Link got up from his chair and went to unplug Trinity, and then Eve, who sat up and groaned. 

'That hurt.'

Morpheus smiled slightly. 'But why? It wasn't real, was it.'

Eve looked up at him. 'I don't know.'

'The human mind is an amazing thing. It makes it real. That's why we must be careful not to get killed in the Matrix.'

The crew dispersed, leaving Morpheus and Eve alone.

'I was very impressed with your sparring today. You have a real flair. You and Trinity could make a great team, if you could just forget your differences.'

Eve looked down, unsure of what to say. Morpheus had mentioned one of the things that had been bothering her, stuck in the back of her mind, and she was still quite in awe of the wise man who stood before her. 

'Now get some rest. You'll be grateful for it in the morning.'

****

Wow. Writing fights is really hard! I take my hat off to all of you who do it so well. Now onto my thank yous:

thereisnobrain- I realise I've just gone and done exactly the opposite of what you recommended, but I just didn't think it would work. I hope the other characters' comments might tell you why. Sorry! Keep reading- it means a lot.

Da Buffster- Nice idea- I must try that. *evilthoughts* Thanks for the v's, I am so proud. :D This chapter was quicker! Yay! I guess its because my teachers decided to be just a little nicer and give us just a little less homework. We have so much it is unbelievable! I hate it when I lose work and stuff. In our house it's usually my sisters fault. Grrr. Trin in Guides is a tempting idea. I must rack my brains for a plot line so if you have any ideas that would be fantastic. :D Hyperness rocks, and so does fluff. In reasonable amounts of course. Too much fluff will make you choke.

Outlaw- Stop changing your name, bitch! Just kidding sweetie. :D Jeez you are so vain- 'Fathom is so cool.' Who is Fathom based on?? I think we know. ;) Keep it up with the German- Mr. Poni is out to get you! Ciao- and keep reading!! 

Agent Josey- Let me explain. You are the only person that has reviewed every single chapter from the beginning, and for that I award you…umm…the SeleneZana Reviewer of Faithfulness Award! (I am _so _imaginative :D) Congratulations. You have really hyper friends! Hey Rhian (the girl out of nowhere). I won't say hi to Naz, because she gets her own thank you, because she reviewed. Yay! Thanks for introducing people- spreading my thoughts far and wide. :D See ya next time.

Angel-Of-Lightness- Thank you! I'm so flattered. :D As for the line in chapter three, I also know some people like that. I guess they inspired me a little. Spelling Cypher wrong is the fault of my goddamn spell check. It changes stuff automatically! Grrr. Thanks for pointing it out- I'll have to change that. I'm glad you liked it, I will be trying to keep Neo in the story, but he's kind of a secondary character. Hopefully this chapter was quicker anyway. Thanks for everything, and keep reading! 

I wrote lots today. :D Now I must go and find some Deep Heat or something, because my muscles kill from playing rugby today. 'Stupid girl' I can hear my mum say. Oh well. See y'all next time!


	8. The Oracle

****

Conviction

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just my mind… I think. The characters in my fiction, apart from Eve, Fathom, Janus and Leda, are the works of the supreme imaginations of the Wachowski bros. Don't sue.

8. The Oracle. 

Neo wandered into the mess room of the Nebuchadnezzar, taking care not to make too much noise. It was late, and he had left Trinity sleeping as he could not seem so sleep himself. He took a step forward and jumped as he saw Morpheus sitting at the table, staring into space.

'Good evening, Neo.'

'Hi. I, um, I couldn't sleep.'

'Neither could I. I don't know what to do with Eve.'

Neo sat down. He had been thinking about this himself, wondering if it was just because she was connected to Trinity, but he felt an affinity for this girl.

'What do you mean?'

'She's at a loose end. I know that new recruits often are for the first few weeks, but she has so much potential. Trinity was like that. She takes after her so much.'

'I know.' He paused, unsure of what to say next. 'So, what did you do with Trinity?'

'The same thing I did with you. I took her to the Oracle as soon as she was ready.'

'Is Eve ready?'

'I believe so. Do you think we should take her in?'

'Why are you unsure?'

'It's so soon. But I think it's time. We will tell her tomorrow.'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'So then the blue connects with the brown, and you solder it in?'

'That's right. Then we're online. You sure learn fast.'

Eve watched Link put the last drop of solder onto the connection, and then stand back to admire their handiwork. She felt pleased that she was of some help on the ship, and had a job to do.

'Link, we need to get up to broadcast depth, as soon as possible.'

Eve turned around, and saw Morpheus standing a few metres away. She ran her hand over the stubble on her head and looked to the floor. She had never been someone who respected authority much, but there was something about this man, the presence he had, the calm and power that he exuded, that made her feel uncomfortable.

'Yes sir,' said Link, before walking away.

Morpheus smiled at Eve slightly, and followed after him. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Alright, are we ready?'

'Yes sir, we are.' 

Link settled himself in the operator's chair and put on the headset that would connect him to the rest of the crew once they were inside the Matrix. Morpheus walked towards his chair and then turned to Eve.

'Eve, take a seat. We're going in for you. We think it's time to take you to see her.'

Eve looked around, looking for somebody to validate this cryptic comment. She saw Trinity standing behind her, and her eyes pleaded for an explanation. 

'The Oracle.'

Eve turned back to face Morpheus who smiled knowingly and indicated the chair. She sat down and was plugged in, followed by the rest of the crew. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'We're in.' The calm voice of Morpheus, in this world where nothing was as it seemed. 

They stepped out of the abandoned warehouse, into the harsh artificial sunlight, and to a car that was waiting. Fathom took the wheel, and they drove off towards the apartment block where the mother of the Matrix resided. 

As they drove, Eve noticed all the places that she had known, loved and hated. She watched all the people living out their lives and felt a tremendous sense of pity for them all, unknowing and oblivious. She felt like jumping out of the car and screaming at them that none of this was real, their lives were meaningless and they needed to wake up and know the truth. She looked across to Trinity and saw that she too was staring out of her window at the park where they had played together as children, her face inscrutable behind dark glasses. 

'This is it.' Morpheus' voice broke the silence like cut glass.

Eve stepped out of the car and looked up at the building. How many times had she walked past this, idly looked up at it, but never really cared? Everything was so different now. 

She entered the building with Morpheus and took the elevator upwards, to a graffiti covered corridor. They walked down it in silence until they came to the door he had been looking for. 

'Here we are Eve. Did I ever tell you about the Oracle?'

'She knows everything, right?'

'She knows enough, but remember, she is only a guide.'

With this remark, the door opened, and a woman dressed in white robes looked out at them.

'Morpheus. Welcome back. And Eve. We've been waiting for you. Follow me.'

Eve followed, not knowing what to expect. After all, it was quite unexpected that the Oracle would be living in an apartment like this in the first place.

'Go on through to the kitchen. She is waiting for you.'

Eve walked through the archway into the kitchen, taking in the cramped surroundings and the out of date furnishings, before her eyes came to rest on a woman in badly fitting clothes sitting on a stool staring at something cooking in her oven. 

'Hello Eve.'

'Hello,' she replied tentatively.

The Oracle turned around and smiled reassuringly. 

'Isn't that uncanny. You are so much like her. But it seems that you have quite a different role to play.'

****

Now- onto my reviewer thankyous!

Agent Josey- Ah, awards. Dontcha just love them? Thanks for your comments on the fight sequence- it was…hard. It took a while. So did this chapter actually. Keep on reviewing, they mean a lot. 

Da Buffster- Oh no. I hate that, when you're up all hours just trying to get some work done. It always happens that when I'm doing stuff at the weekend or whatever, we get a ton of work and I can't fit it all in. But then when I'm doing nothing, we get barely anything! School is against me. :( Glad my fic gives you ideas, even if they are random thoughts! Good luck with your fics to come, and stay hyper! 

SapphireNight- Thankyou! Its always nice to know that people are reading my stuff. :D I'm trying to keep up this sibling rivalry, as you said, (although there's not _that _much in this chapter) so keep reading!

thereisnobrain- Again, thankyou! Zion…hmm. That may come later- so watch this space. 

Take a guess- Oh I wonder who this could be! Thankyou, I trust you enjoyed the fight scene. ;) With the email- you could have just asked. You are dead, get your head down and revise dammit! No I haven't either. Ciao sexy, and keep reviewing or I will get you!

Protectress of Dalidon- Thanks for the constructiveness of your criticism! I have already adressed those points in that email, but here I will just say that I appreciate you analysing my story like that, carry on!

Hopefully I will get the next chapter up and running faster than this one. We shall see.


End file.
